See how new and how wonderful this mystery is. He has
not yet left the womb but he speaks by his actions [...]; he has not yet been
born and he is keen to act as Precursor. The Lord is present, so he cannot
contain himself or wait for nature to run its course; he wants to break out of
the prison of his mother's womb and he makes sure he witnesses to the fact that
the Savior is about to come." St. John
Chrysostom (d. 407AD), Sermon on the Visitation

The Church of the
Visitation was built on the site identified by early Christians as the house
of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The present Church of the Visitation was built
in 1935 on the remains of former churches, the first of which was built in
the 4th century AD.

+ + +

Luke 1:39-45: The Visitation39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the
hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When
Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth,
filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how
does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at
the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb
leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to
you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

Scripture indicates that Mary
left the Galilee almost immediately after the angel's announcement and
journeyed south to the home of her kinswoman, Elizabeth. According to
tradition, Elizabeth and Zechariah lived in a village not far from Jerusalem. The
Romans provided political stability and the local Jewish courts and the great
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, with Roman approval, administered civil and religious
justice, but traveling from the Galilee through Samaria to Judea could be
dangerous. Roving bands of armed men regularly robbed and murdered lone
travelers and attacked small caravans. Mary probably traveled in a caravan with
village friends or relations who were making the trek south to Jerusalem. The
journey either required traveling the shorter but more dangerous route through
Samaria or taking the longer but safer journey along the east bank of the
Jordan River. Walking or traveling by donkey, it probably took at least a
week, and the group would be required to stop on Friday about noon to prepare
for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day of rest (sundown Friday to sundown
Saturday), and religious Jews did not travel or do any work on the Sabbath.

Question: How many months pregnant was Elizabeth? Did her
neighbors know about her blessing? How long after the angel's announcement did
Mary make the journey to visit Elizabeth? See Luke 1:13, 24-26 and 37.Answer: Elizabeth had been in seclusion for five months (Luke 1:24), but it was now the sixth month of her pregnancy (as the ancients counted)
and she had publically acknowledged that she was with child. This was still
the same month that the angel Gabriel announced God's plan for the birth of the
Savior and when Elizabeth's pregnancy was revealed to Mary.

According to Christian
tradition, Elizabeth lived in the town of Ein Karem located about four miles (6.5
km) from Jerusalem. Mary's haste may have been motivated by her need to share
her secret with someone who would understand. Mary had many reasons to be
fearful as a pregnant, unmarried, but betrothed Jewish woman.

Question: What is one reason that Mary might have been fearful?
What were the ordinances of the Mosaic Law concerning women that became
pregnant by a man other than their betrothed? See Numbers 22:23-24.Answer: The penalty for a betrothed woman or a married woman becoming
pregnant by a man other than their betrothed or their husband was death by
stoning.

40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant
leaped in her womb and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried
out in a loud voice...Question: What prophecy of the angel Gabriel was fulfilled at
this moment? See Luke 1:15.Answer: His prophecy to Zechariah that the child would be
filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb.

The Fathers of the Church
interpreted King David leaping in joy as he danced before the Ark of the
Covenant when it entered Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:13-14) as a foreshadow of John
the Baptist leaping in his mother's womb in the presence of God in the womb of
Mary (Luke 1:41). Zechariah's home was in the village of Ein Karem, in the
Judean hills near Jerusalem. At the time of Mary's visit, this region was
called the Roman Province of Judea/ Judaea (joo-day-uh).(1)Question: What are the comparisons that can be made to link
these two events? Compare 2 Samuel 6:10-15 with Luke 1:39-41, 56.Answer:

Question: What other theological implication can be made
concerning John's leap of joy in the presence of the Jesus within Mary's womb
as evidence of John being filled with the Holy Spirit? See CCC# 404-05.Answer: St. John was conceived in sin and therefore inherited
original sin like all other men and women (CCC# 404-05). However, through the
grace of God, he was born sinless. He was sanctified in his mother's womb by
the Holy Spirit when he was in the presence of Jesus the Savior within Mary's
womb.

John's leap of joy was a
result of being infused with the grace of God, which thereby fulfilled
Gabriel's prophecy to Zechariah: ...even from his mother's womb he will be
filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15). The Catechism notes that John was
filled with the Holy Spirit from Elizabeth's womb by Christ Himself,
foreshadowing what Christ would do for all who acknowledged faith in Him.
Mary's visit to Elizabeth was literally a visit from God to His covenant people
(CCC# 717-18; 720).

41b ... and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried
out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is
the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my
Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached
my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed
are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be
fulfilled."
Inspired by the Holy Spirit,
Elizabeth's statement that Mary is "most blessed" of all women gave Mary the
status of the most important woman in salvation history.

Question: Elizabeth's statement concerning Mary's place is
history is followed by a title of respect that Elizabeth applied to Mary.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, what title did Elizabeth call Mary in Luke 1:43?
What did Elizabeth mean when she addressed Mary this way? See CCC 495.Answer: She called Mary "the mother of my Lord," by which she
meant the Mother of God.

"Lord," (Adonai in
Hebrew; Kyrios in Greek), was a title the covenant people used to refer
to God (CCC# 495). Out of reverence for the divine Name, the Jews only used
God's covenant name, YHWH (with vowels probably rendered: "Yahweh") in the
Temple during liturgical worship. Elizabeth's acknowledgement of Mary as the
Mother of God was affirmed by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in 431AD.
For more information see the chart "Great Councils of the Church" and the document "The Many Names of God."

At that moment, the Holy
Spirit not only sanctified St. John in Elizabeth's womb, but He gave Elizabeth
knowledge of God's plan for Mary and her son. In response, with a heart filled
with joy, Mary raised her voice in a canticle of praise to God. Luke 1:46-55
contains some of the most beautiful poetry in Sacred Scripture and is known to
us as Mary's Magnificat. The name of the poem comes from the first line
rendered in Latin: Magnificat anima mea Dominus: "My soul does magnify
the Lord."(2)

Luke 1:46-56 ~ The Canticle of Mary (Magnificat)46 And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the
Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. 48 For he
has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. 49 The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy
is his name. 50 His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. 51 He has
shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. 52 He has
thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. 53 The
hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has
helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, 55 according
to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." 56 Mary
remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Question: In this song of joy and faith Mary, referred to
several passages from Old Testament Scripture. Can you find some of the Old
Testament references in Mary's hymn of thanksgiving?Answer: In the chart there just are a few of the Old Testament
quotations and references. The symbol LXX indicated the Greek Septuagint
translation, where the wording is closer to the Luke passage.

Old Testament Reference(LXX is Septuagint translation)

The Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55O.T. quotations and references are in bold

Luke 1:55:55 according
to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

The poem can be divided into
three parts:

Mary gives thanks to God
for making her the mother of the promised Savior (Luke 1:46-50).

Mary speaks of God's love
for the poor and humble and His acts of judgment against those who oppress
them (Luke 1:51-53)

Mary speaks of God's
faithfulness to His covenant people and to His promises to the Abraham and
the patriarchs (Luke 1:54-55).

In this beautiful poem, we
not only have a sense of Mary's trust in God to keep His promises, but we are
also made aware of her humility and meekness in her relationship with God.
These aspects of Mary's canticle prompted St. Bede to write: "It was fitting
then, that just as death entered the world through the pride of our first
parents, the entry of Life should be manifested by the humility of Mary"(The
Gospel of Luke).

In verse 48 Mary thanks God For
he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. The Greek word tapeinosis (Strong's Concordance
# 5014), translated "lowliness" in verse 48, is from the root tapeinoo, meaning
"to humiliate, debase, bring low" (Strong's Concordance #5013). The
word tapeinosis can be translated as "lowness" in rank or in feeling.
Some Bible translations render this verse as "low estate," or "humble station,"
or "humiliation."

Question: Mary's "humble estate" was her social status in 1st
century society, but if Mary was referring to her personal "humiliation," what
was it that Mary could have been speaking of in verse 48? Note: When Hannah
spoke of her "humiliation" in 1 Samuel 1:11, in the Greek Septuagint
translation, it is the same Greek word that is found in Luke 1:48.Answer: Probably the humiliation she suffered as a girl who
was pregnant and as yet unmarried. Family and neighbors might believe that she
was unfaithful to Joseph. Hannah's humiliation, on the other hand, was from
her inability to bear a child. It is, however, the same word and possibly the
same feeling but for different reasons.

When Joseph realized she was
with child, the discovery may have been revealed to him by a relation, a
neighbor, or by Mary herself. From the text in Matthew 1:18-19, it seems
likely that Joseph believed Mary was pregnant by another man, which in light of
this passage in the Magnificat may also be the reason for Mary's humiliation.
There is another interpretation of Joseph's reaction, which will be discussed
in the next lesson.

Have you ever felt humiliated
when you have taken a stand for the beliefs and practices of your Christian faith
in opposition to the "wisdom" of the world? Can you think of a Bible passage
that might strengthen you on such an occasion? Such a test of faith is often a
"covenant ordeal" and faithfulness and steadfast obedience may not be rewarded
in this life, but it will be rewarded in the next. Some passages you might
consider are 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 3:10-15;
Revelation 2:3, 10-11; 3:5, 11-13,
21-22.

In Mary's poem of praise to
God, did you notice the multiple references to the Old Testament passages that
concern the story of Hannah, the mother of the Prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel
chapters 1-2)? Several significant references are found in Hannah's song of
joy, celebrating God's mercy in granting her petition in the birth of her son.
Please read that passage in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. "LORD" in all capital letters
replaces the divine Name, YHWH, in the translation. It is the divine Name YHWH
that is found in the Hebrew text. Notice that Hannah invokes the divine Name
eight times in her hymn. Eight is the number that is symbolic of salvation.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 ~ Hannah's Hymn of Praise1b "My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my
God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory. 2 There is
no Holy One like the LORD; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Speak boastfully
no longer, nor let arrogance issue from your mouths. For an all-knowing God is
the LORD, a God who judges deeds. 4
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength. 5 The well-fed hire
themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife
bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. 6 The LORD
puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up
again. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he
also exalts. 8 He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap
he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their
heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he has set the world upon
them. 9 He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones, but
the wicked shall perish in the darkness. For not by strength does man prevail;
10 the LORD'S foes shall be shattered. The Most High in
heaven thunders; the LORD judges the ends of the earth. Now may he give
strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed!"

Question: Hannah's hymn of praise has been called the
"prototype" of the Magnificat. What comparisons can you make
between Mary's song of praise and Hannah's?Answer:

Hannah speaks of God
raising up his "anointed" and Mary praises God for the "Anointed One" she
carries in her womb (1 Samuel 2:10; Luke 1:47-55).

The main theme of both
poems is that God's gracious mercy is extended to the meek and lowly who
humbly submit themselves to the will of God in their lives.

Question: Filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary spoke prophetically
in Luke 1:48-49. What was the prophecy?Answer: That all generations will call her blessed.

It is sad that not all
professing Christians extend Mary this honor. The Virgin Mary is the mother of
Jesus, the eternal Davidic king, and in that role she assumes the same honored position
of all the past Queen Mothers of Judah.(3) In addition, Mary's fiat led to the salvation of all
Christians, for which we should love and honor her throughout every Christian
generation. She is also our inheritance from the Cross, when Jesus gave His
mother to be the mother of the "beloved disciple" (John 19:25-27). Each man
and woman who loves the Savior becomes His "beloved disciple" and therefore a
child of His beloved mother (Revelation 12:17).

THE BIRTH OF THE LAST OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET: YOHANAN
BEN ZECHARIAH (John the Baptist)

In truth I tell you, of all the children born to
women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist.... Jesus speaking of St. John the Baptist in Matthew
11:11

Luke 1:57-66 ~ The Birth of John57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had
shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When
they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call
him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called
John." 61 But they answered her, "There is no one among your
relatives who has this name." 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished
him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God. 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these
matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who
heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child
be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth
about three months as the ancients counted but two months as we count without
the concept of zero as a place value (Luke 1:56). This is why Scripture
records that Jesus was in the tomb three days from Friday to Sunday instead of
two days as we would count the days. Mary stayed until the eighth month of
Elizabeth's pregnancy and before the end of the first trimester of her
pregnancy.

57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had
shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When
they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child ...
When their son was born,
Zechariah and Elizabeth, in faithful obedience to the commands of God's holy
covenant with His people, had the child circumcised on the 8th day of his life.
This ceremony is called a brit, which is the Hebrew word for "covenant."Question: Why was circumcision important to the old covenant
people? What was the other part of the ceremony? See Genesis 17:2, 9-27;
Exodus 12:43-48; Leviticus 12:3;
Deuteronomy 10:6; 30:6; and Jeremiah 4:4.Answer: Old Covenant law required that every male born of a
Jewish woman must be circumcised on the eighth day of his birth. In addition
to the circumcision ceremony, there were prayers as well as the official naming
of the child. It was through this Old Covenant sacrament that a male child
became a member of the covenant family.

Circumcision was a ritual
established by God under the old covenants (Abrahamic and Sinai) as a sign (in
Hebrew ot brit = "sign of the covenant") to mark out the chosen people.
God told Abraham: Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be
the sign of the covenant between you and me (Genesis 17:11). This ceremony
marked the entrance of the child into the family of the covenant people of
God. The cutting away of the foreskin of the male child signified that this
child belonged to Yahweh. The old life under the curse of Adam was cut away
(like the boy's foreskin) to reveal a male child who would father sons and daughters
for the covenant family. It was an external sign that indicated what was to be
the internal condition. The circumcised flesh symbolized God's desire for
circumcised hearts that were entirely faithful to Yahweh and to a life of
righteousness (Deuteronomy 10:6; Jeremiah 4:4).

Question: How does a Christian become a member of the New
Covenant family of Christ Jesus? See CCC# 903; 978; 1113; 1272.Answer: Through the Sacrament of Baptism.

As it was the practice in the
Old Covenant for infants to enter the covenant, the Baptism of infants into the
New Covenant people of God has been a practice since the earliest years of the
Church (CCC# 1231-52; 1282).

59b they were going to call him Zechariah after his
father, 60 but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called
John." 61 But they answered her, "There is no one among your
relatives who has this name." 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished
him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
The rite of circumcision was
performed either at home or at the Synagogue, and the child was named by his
legal father. Legal did not necessarily mean biological. When a man held up a
child and named him, he was legally acknowledging the child has his heir. It
was the custom for the parents to choose a name for the child that was also the
name of a grandparent, or another family member.Question: Resisting pressure from friends and family, what did
Zechariah name the child? What miracle occurred at John son of Zechariah's
circumcision and naming ceremony? See Luke 1:13, 59-64.Answer: Zechariah's speech, absent since his encounter with the angel,
returned when he wrote on a tablet that the child was to be named "John." It
was the name the angel commanded him to name his son.

Fulfilling the prophecy of
the angel, Zechariah named the child in Hebrew Yehohanan/ also rendered Yohanan/
or Yehanan (in Aramaic), which means "Yahweh's mercy/ Yahweh is mercy."
St. Ambrose observed that at this moment: "With good reason was his tongue
loosed, because faith united what had been tied by disbelief" (Expositio
Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc., quoted in The Navarre Bible: St. Luke, page
47). Question: Zechariah's lack of faith in believing the angel
Gabriel can be compared to the lack of faith in what New Testament Apostle?
Both the reluctant Apostle and the priest Zechariah needed visible proof to
believe.Answer: Zechariah had been reluctant to believe the angel's
news that his wife, barren in her old age, would be able bear a son. It is an
event that can be compared to St. Thomas the Apostle's reluctance to believe in
the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ (John 20:24-28). God presented
visible proof of the miracle to each of these men, but as Jesus would later
tell Thomas: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed (John 20:29).

Filled with the Holy Spirit,
Zechariah received a special grace of prophecy after he obediently wrote down
the name for the child that Gabriel had given to him.

Luke 1:67-79 ~ Zechariah's Canticle of Praise67 Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy
Spirit, prophesied, saying: 68 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has
visited and brought redemption to his people. 69 He has
raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, 70 even as
he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: 71 salvation
from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show
mercy to our fathers and to be mindful [literally
= to remember] of his holy covenant 73 and of
the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, 74 rescued
from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him 75 in
holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And
you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the
Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the
forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God by which the
daybreak from on high [or "star that heralds the day"] will visit us 79 to
shine [give light to]on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow,
to guide our feet into the path of peace." [..] = literal translation IBGE, vol. IV, page 156.

Known as the Benedictus (named
from first word of the poem in Latin), Zechariah's prayer in Luke 1:67-79
can be divided into two parts:

The canticle begins with
praise to God for keeping His promise to the Patriarch Abraham by sending
the Messiah, who was promised by the prophets of Israel, and who was to
come from "the house of David" to redeem His people (verses 68-75).

In the second part,
Zechariah reveals the role his son in destined to play in God's plan of
salvation. His son is to be God's holy prophet and the precursor to the
promised Messiah (verses 76-79).

Question: What question asked by Zechariah's friends and
relatives was answered in his song of praise? See Luke 1:66.Answer: Zechariah's song of praise in effect answers the
question posed his friends and relatives who spread the news of the miracle
concerning Zechariah (Luke 1:65) when they asked: What will this child turn
out to be? (Luke 1:66). Zechariah answered the question by giving thanks
to God for remembering His promise to send the Redeemer-Messiah as He promised
the Patriarchs and prophets of Israel.

Question: Filled with the Holy Spirit, what did Zechariah
prophesy concerning his son's mission in verses 76-79?Answer: Zechariah prophesized that his son was a prophet of
God who would have the mission of serving as God's herald by announcing the
coming of the Messiah. He would also proclaim God's mercy in fulfillment of
the prophecy that in the Age of the Messiah sins would be forgiven and the
people would receive a special knowledge of salvation.

Like Mary's canticle of
praise, Zechariah's canticle also has numerous Old Testament Scripture
references and recalls the great events in salvation history like the Abrahamic
Covenant, the Exodus liberation and Sinai Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and
the prophecies concerning the advent of the Messiah. The chart contains some
of those references:

In Luke 1:73 Zechariah speaks
of the "oath he swore to our father Abraham." It is similar to the reference
to the promises made to Abraham in Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:55. Please note
that covenants are ratified by oath swearing and blood sacrifice and that
Ishmael had left the family in Genesis 21:8-21. Isaac was Abraham's only remaining
son as well as the son through which the "promised seed" would be preserved and
passed down to future generations in order for the Redeemer-Messiah to be "born
from the seed of the woman" (Gen 3:15).

Question: After what event did God swear a covenant oath to
Abraham? What are the significant passages? See Genesis 22:1-18 repeat of
covenant promises first made in Genesis 12:1-3.Answer: Abraham faced a covenant ordeal in which God told him
to offer his son Isaac, his only "beloved son", in sacrifice to Yahweh. In
faithful obedience to God's command, Abraham took Isaac on a three day journey
to Mt. Moriah and prepared to sacrifice the "promised son" God had given to him
and to his wife Sarah in their old age (Genesis 18:9-14), in the same way God given
a "promised son" to the elderly Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both Isaac and John
were "miracle" babies. Because of Abraham's faithful obedience, God swore by
oath, a covenant with Abraham that promised a kingdom, numerous descendants,
and a worldwide blessing (Gen 22:16-18).

The events in the akeidah,
the Hebrew term for the "binding of Isaac", foreshadow the Passion of the
Christ. When Isaac noticed that there was no lamb of sacrifice, his father
told him: My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering (Genesis 22:8 NJB). Isaac willingly submitted to his father and carried the wood up to
the site of the sacrifice. As Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son in
obedience to God's command, God stayed the hand of Abraham and provided a male
lamb as a substitute sacrifice in the place of Abraham's son. Because of these
events, Abraham named the place Yahweh yireh [jireh], "Yahweh provides"
(or "will provide;" Genesis 22:8): Abraham called this place 'Yahweh
provides', and hence the saying today: on the mountain Yahweh provides (Genesis 22:14 NJB). Because of his obedience in not withholding his beloved son, God
swore an oath to Abraham that day: I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares,
that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own
beloved son, I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as
numerous as the start of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your
descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All nations on
earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my
command' (Gen 22:15-18 NJB).

Question: Why was Abraham willing to submit himself to this
horrific test? See Hebrews 11:17-19.Answer: Abraham believed that God would raise his son up from
death in order to keep His covenant promise that Isaac would give Abraham many
descendants.

From that time forward, the
village of Salem on Mt. Moriah was called Yireh-salem, Jerusalem, which
means, "will provide peace." It would become the site of Yahweh's holy Temple
(2 Chronicles 3:1), and the place where the "Prince of Peace," God's only
beloved Son and a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1) would be offered in
sacrifice.

Question: What is the significance of Abraham, the righteous
father, offering up his only beloved son in sacrifice on Mt. Moriah coupled
with the significance of God's covenant oath? How does the story of the
sacrifice of Isaac and God's covenant oath sworn to Abraham prefigure the
sacrifice of the Christ? Is Isaac a Biblical "type" of Jesus Christ? See
Genesis 22:2, 6; 2 Chronicles 3:1; John 19:17-18.Answer: Isaac is a "type" of Christ. Like Abraham, God, the
righteous Father, offered up His beloved Son in sacrifice. Isaac even carried
the wood for his sacrifice to the site of the sacrificial altar (Genesis 22:7-8) just as Jesus carried the wooden crossbeam to the altar of the Cross
(John 19:17). Jesus was crucified on an elevation just outside Jerusalem that
was part of Mt. Moriah while Isaac was offered in sacrifice on Mt. Moriah
(Genesis 22:2; 2 Chronicles 3:1).

However, in Jesus' case, He
was the substitute sacrifice , He was the Lamb of God that Abraham had
prophesied, "Yahweh yireh" – "God will provide": My son, God himself
will provide the lamb for the burnt offering [sacrifice] (Genesis 22:8 NJB).
None of the covenant promises made to Abraham were fulfilled in his lifetime,
but all of them were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.

Question: Make a list of the comparisons between the offering of
Isaac and the Passion and Resurrection of the Christ.Answer: Comparisons between the akeidah, the offering
up of Isaac in sacrifice in Genesis 22:1-18 and the Passion and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ:

Isaac and Jesus were "only,
beloved" sons of a righteous father; Ishmael had been sent away in Genesis 21:14 (Gen 22:2).

Both sons were "resurrected" or
"given back" to their fathers on the third day. Isaac was essential "dead" to
his grieving father when God commanded him to sacrifice his son. On the "third
day" God provided another sacrifice and Abraham's son was restored. God's son
died on the Cross and was resurrected on the third day! (Gen 22:4;
Mt 16:21;
17:23; 20; 19;
Mk 9:31; 10:34;
Lk 9:22; 18:22; 24:7, 44-47;
Acts 10:40; 1 Cor 15:4).

Each of the covenant promises
God swore by an oath to fulfill for Abraham in Genesis 22:15-18 are tied to the
promises God first made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 when God called him to
leave the city of Ur near the Persian Gulf and go to the Promised Land of
Canaan. God promised that he would give Abram (not yet Abraham) a kingdom,
numerous descendants, and that he would be a world-wide blessing. St. Paul
wrote: But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are
of Israel are Israel, nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his
descendants; but "It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name."
This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of
God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants (Romans 9:6-8
quoting Genesis 21:12; also see Galatians 3:29).

Question: How was the covenant oath that God swore to Abraham in
Genesis 22:15-18, which Zechariah referred to in Luke 1:73, fulfilled in the
Kingdom of Jesus the Messiah? Who are Abraham's true heirs? See what St. Paul
wrote to the Roman Christians in Romans 4:13-17 and to the Galatians in
3:25-29.Answer: The heirs of the promises made to Abraham are the
children of the New Covenant: And simply by being Christ's, you are that
progeny of Abraham, the heirs named in the promise (Galatians 3:29).

Covenant Promise

Covenant fulfillment

Genesis 22:17a ~ I will
shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of
heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore.

All the New Covenant people
of God, of all generations, from the time of Christ and those before the time
of Christ who received the Gospel of salvation when Jesus descended to the
dead, are children of these blessings (1 Peter 3:19-20; 4:6; the Apostles
Creed).

Genesis 22:17b ~ Your
descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies [have
power and authority over their enemies]

Genesis 22:18 ~ All
nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have
obeyed my command.

With the Advent of the
Messiah and His victory over sin and death, all nations have been blessed
through Jesus, the descendant of father Abraham (Matthew 1:1; Acts 10:34-43;
Romans 2:6-10).

Question: Zechariah's prophecy of the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:77) recalled what famous prophecy by
the prophet Jeremiah? Hint: It is an Old Testament prophecy that speaks of a
New Covenant in the Messianic Age.Answer: Jeremiah's prophecy of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34: Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall make a new
covenant with the House of Israel.... [..]. Then I shall be their God and
they will be my people. There will be no further need for everyone to teach
neighbor or brother, saying, "Learn to know Yahweh!" No, they will all know
me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive
their guilt and never more call their sin to mind.b

Question: In Luke 1:78 Zechariah referred to the daybreak
from on high will visit us orthe star that heralds the day that has
come from on high to visit us... Who was Zechariah referring to and what
famous Old Testament prophecies are being referenced in this statement? See Genesis 49:9-12 and Numbers 24:15-19.Answer: The Jews believe these Old Testament prophecies refer
to King David, while Christians believe these prophecies were fulfilled in
Jesus of Nazareth.

The Jews have always seen the
prophecy of Numbers 24:15-19, coupled with the prophecy of the dying
Jacob/Israel in Genesis 49:10, as the promise of the messiah, David. Remember
"messiah" in Hebrew means "anointed one," and prophets, priests, and kings are all
anointed as God's representatives to the people. But Christians have always
seen these prophecies as imperfectly fulfilled in David and perfectly fulfilled
in his descendant, the Redeemer-Messiah promised by the Prophets, Jesus of
Nazareth. It was probably the convergence of these prophecies with the
prophecy concerning the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem in Micah 5:1(2) that
influenced Herod the Great to murder hundreds of children in the village of
Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18). In view of the evidence, it seems clear that
Zechariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is referring to the Advent of the
Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the one for whom his son will prepare the way
and the one who is to be a light to the world (Luke 1:79; John 1:3-5; 8:12).
It was John the Baptist's mission to bear witness to "the Light" of Jesus
Christ (John 1:6-8)

It has been said that the New
Testament books were originally circulated to the Church throughout the Levant,
Italy and Asia Minor in the Greek language, but there is evidence in the
writings of Church Fathers, like Origen and Jerome, that at least Matthew's
Gospel was originally written in Hebrew (or Aramaic) before it was translated
into Greek.(4) When St. Jerome was working on his Latin Vulgate
translation in the 4th century, he mentioned having access to copies of
Matthew's Gospel written "in the language of the Hebrews." In the 1947 a
collection of scrolls were discovered in caves near the Dead Sea. This library
of ancient texts contained all the books of the Old Testament with the exception
of the Book of Esther. There were also Bible commentaries and secular
documents. The collection of documents dated between 250 BC to 68 AD.

Scholars studying the scrolls
written in Hebrew were able to expand their understanding of the Hebrew
language. Two of these scholars made an interesting discovery when they
attempted to translate the Greek New Testament Gospels back into Hebrew. They expected
the Gospel of St. Matthew to be easily translated back into to Hebrew, since
there was evidence that it had originally been written in Hebrew, but they
discovered to their amazement that the other Gospels also translated very
easily back into a Hebrew text. In addition, they discovered "word-plays" in
Hebrew that were missing in the Greek translations. Examples are found in each
of the Gospels but one of the most interesting is the Hebrew word-play in Luke
chapter 1:72-73 from the "Song of Zechariah": ...to show mercy to our
fathers, and to be mindful [remember]of his holy covenant, and to the oath he
swore to Abraham, our father. In Luke 1:72-73 the Hebrew root words for
each name: Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John, are present in these verses:

Perhaps this discovery
accounts for what scholars have criticized as poor Greek grammar in the
Gospels. What is "bad" Greek may simply be good theology. For example, in his
Gospel, St. John does not use the Greek word for "Spirit" in the correct Greek
neuter form. Instead he identifies "Spirit" with the masculine pronoun "he".
This perhaps reflects the inspired writer's difficulty in translating into a
language that was foreign to what the Holy Spirit intended him to write in
Hebrew since the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity is not an "it" but a "He."
The New Testament was circulated through the Roman world in Greek because that
was the international language.

St. Luke provided very
detailed information for the year when John and Jesus were both 30 years old at
the beginning of their ministries (Luke 3:1-2, 23). He began with the
statement that it was In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign, and
continued by mentioning several other men who were in positions of power at the
time.Question: Is there enough information in Sacred Scripture to
historically determine the year John the Baptist was born and the year of
Jesus' birth five months later (or six as the ancients counted)?
In determining the year John and Jesus were 30 years old, and from that date the
year they were born, consider that:

Tiberius Caesar succeeded
Augustus Caesar on the 19th of August 14 AD.

Annas was High Priest from
6 AD-15 AD and his son-in-law, Caiaphas, was High Priest from 18 AD-36 AD,
but Annas still wielded the power (John 18:12-13).

Answer: Yes. St. Luke testified that John began his ministry
in the fifteenth year of Tiberius' reign when Pontius Pilate as the governor of
Judea and that Jesus began His ministry after being baptized by John, when he
was about 30 years old. Since Tiberius succeeded Augustus on the 19th
of August 14 AD, the 15th year of Tiberius' reign was from August 19th,
28 AD to August 18th, 29 AD. In the year 28 AD, Pilate had been
governor for about two years. According to these calculations, the birth of
both John and Jesus took place in the year 3/2 BC, during the reign of Augustus
Caesar (Luke 3:1; Matthew 2:1).

This calculation agrees with
the date most scholars have determined was the year of Jesus' death which was the
year 30 AD, giving Jesus a three year ministry (as the ancients would have
counted it) from 28 to 30 AD. The length of a three year ministry agrees with
St. John's Gospel which records that Jesus' ministry spanned three Passover
festivals (John 2:13, 23; 4:25 = Passover #1; 6:4 = Passover #2; and 11:55 ff =
the final Passover).

However, there are those
scholars who do not agree with the date of 3/2 BC for the births of John and
Jesus. Determining the date of Herod the Great's death has caused some
problems and conflicts in determining the date of Jesus' birth. Luke's
testimony that the 15th year of Tiberius was the year John and Jesus
were both 30 years old gives us the date of 3/2 BC for their births, however
some scholars date Herod's death to 4 BC. Since Scripture records that Herod
the Great was King of Judea when Jesus was a baby, there is an error somewhere
in the calculations. Some scholars date Herod's death as early as 4 BC, but
others date his death to 1 BC, which would agree with a birth date for Jesus of
3/2 BC. The earlier date for Herod's death is based on 1st century
AD Jewish historian Josephus' testimony that Herod died just after a lunar
eclipse (Antiquities of the Jews 17.6.4 [167]) but just before the
Passover. In 1630 the astronomer Johannes Kepler, in trying to identify Jesus'
birth year through Josephus' information concerning Herod's death, identified
the year 4 BC as the year of a partial lunar eclipse on March 12/13,
with the Jewish Passover twenty-nine days later on April 11th.

Since the late 19th
century, most biblical scholars who accept the 4 BC date for Herod's death
assume Jesus was born in year 7 or 6 BC. This birth date clearly does not
agree with St. Luke's testimony that both Jesus and John were 30 years old on
the 15th year of the reign of Tiberias. Recently, however, modern astronomers
have calculated that in year 1 BC there was full lunar eclipse viewed
from Jerusalem on the night of January 9/10, and the Passover Feast of that
year was celebrated just twelve and a half weeks later on April 8th. This
information has caused some biblical scholars to reassess the calculations of
Jesus' birth year to the year 3/2 BC, a date that agrees with St. Luke's
account and with the testimony of several early Church Fathers.

It has also been determined
that scribal error compromised other accounts of first century AD Jewish
historian Flavius Josephus' dates concerning Herod's family. Copies of his
history after the year 1544 indicate Herod actually died later than previously
believed in the year that would correspond to our year 1 BC. In all copies of Antiquities
of the Jews, 18.106prior to 1544, Josephus places Herod's son
Philip's death in the twenty-second year of the reign of the Roman Emperor
Tiberius, after ruling for thirty-seven years after the death of his father,
Herod the Great, instead of in the twentieth year of Tiberius as recorded in
many copies of the history after 1544. The copyist evidently mistakenly failed
to write 22 and instead recorded 20 years, and the mistake was repeated by
other copyist. The older copies of Josephus' history, therefore, place the
death of Herod in the year 1 BC our time (see The Works of Josephus, page
483, footnote c). If King Herod died in year 1 BC, according to our modern
calendar, and if Herod believed Jesus to be just under 2 years old when he
ordered the murder of the babies in all villages around Jerusalem, then a birth
date in the winter of 3/2 BC for Jesus would agree with St. Luke's testimony
and the calculations of early Church Fathers like St. Clement of Alexandria.

In approximately the year
200AD, St. Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD), head of the Christian
catechetical school in Alexandria, Egypt, recorded that Jesus of Nazareth was
born in the twenty-eighth year of the reign of the Roman Emperor Caesar
Augustus, calculating the beginning of Augustus' reign from the year 727 AUC (a
dating system from the foundation of Rome) or, in our time, 27 BC, when the
Roman Senate conferred upon him the title "Augustus." Clement's calculation
gives the date 3 BC for Jesus' birth (Christianity and the Roman Empire:
Background Texts, Ralph Novak, page 282).

The story of John the
Baptist's birth ends with these intriguing words: Meanwhile the child grew
up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day he
appeared openly to Israel (Luke 1:80). That John "lived in the
desert" and no longer lived in Ein Karem may suggest that when his elderly
parents died, John was raised in a community in the wilderness of Judea. The Judean
wilderness community at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found,
identified themselves as the "sons of Zadok." Zadok, a descendant of Aaron,
was the High Priest during the reigns of King David and Solomon. From the time
of Zadok in the 10th century BC, all future anointed high priests came
from his line until the mid 1st century BC when the last Zadok high
priest was murdered. The members of this community, who identified themselves
as descendants of Zadok, adopted orphaned sons of deceased priests. Some scholars
have offered the suggestion that St. John the Baptist came out from the
religious community at Qumran, near to where the Jordan River empties into the
Dead Sea, to begin his ministry.(5) This is an intriguing suggestion, and the site of the
ruins of the Christian Byzantine church that is believed to mark the site of
St. John's baptisms on the east side of the Jordan River can be seen from the
ruins of the Qumran community across the river and slightly to the south.

1. The Romans conquered Judah
in 63 BC. In 40 BC the Roman senate selected Herod, an Idumean ally, as a
client king of the Roman province of Judea. Herod was the son of Antipater, an
Idumean (descendants of Esau) who was the Roman appointed procurator of Judea,
and his wife Cypris, a Nabatean princess. After subduing the Jewish
resistance, Herod effectively took control of Judea in 37 BC. He consolidated
his political power over the Jews by murdering the last Jewish Hasmonean ruler,
Hyrcanus II, and marrying his granddaughter, Mariamme.

2. Mary's prayer of praise is
included in the Roman Breviary, daily chanted at Vespers (public evening
prayer), and is also solemnly recited in the private evening prayers of Christians
from the Liturgy of the Hours and on other occasions.

4. Eusebius (d. 339/340) was
Bishop of Caesarea in the Holy Land. Caesarea was the administrative capital
of the Roman province and was the site of the most ancient Christian library.
Using the resources of this ancient library and the first recorded histories of
the Church, Bishop Eusebius wrote a comprehensive history of the Church which
is a principle source for most scholars today. In his history, Euseibus
recorded that Matthew's Gospel was first Gospel and that it was written down in
Hebrew. Quoting from an earlier document written by St. Clement, Bishop of
Rome (martyred 99 AD), he wrote: For Matthew, who had at first preached to
the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples, committed his Gospel to
writing in his native tongue... (Eusebius, Church History, Book III.24.6).
In another section, quoting from St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (martyred c. 200
AD): Matthew published his Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language,
while Peter and Paul were preaching and founding the Church in Rome (Euseibus,
Church History, Book V.8.2).

5. It was once believed that
the community at Qumran was composed of a group known as Essenes. This theory
is no longer widely held. In all their secular documents, they never refer to
themselves as "Essenes." Instead they only identify themselves as "the sons of
Zadok."